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FFR Player
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Well, I think that this is probably the thing that deserves the most critical thinking in our lives. What will I do with myself? What will I do after high school? What will I do after college? What will I do after...
Lately, i've been having to think of what i'm going to do with myself. For the past 17 years, i've been kind of oblivious to it. Now i've got to make some decisions, or the decisions will be made for me. I believe that the rest of my life lies in what I do in the next few years. I believe that the few years after high school, adjusting into adult-hood, is when we develop the most as people. Here's an example. I hang out with some 20+ year old girls on a regular basis. Some people tell me, "Hey, you should try to get with one of those girls. They are really cool aren't they? And good looking at that". Of course I agree with them. Yeah, they are really good people, and they are pretty cute. But, take a look at the situation. I am not even 18 yet, and by my beliefs, these girls, rather, women, are on a much higher level of life than me. I'm still in the years of childhood, living with my parents, depeneding on others. They, on the other hand, are productive members of society, creating a future for themselves. That is why I say, "No, sorry. Yes, these girls are really cool, and that's why I want to be their friends". As of now, I am finishing up high school, and will graduate early at the end of the Fall semester. After that, I plan on going to Japan for a year or two to study the language and create memories and have experiences that will be there until I die. My main goal is to be able to communicate with Japanese, because the majority of them that I have met are really cool, and I enjoy their culture, history, etc. But if being able to speak Japanese lands me a job, hey, that is awesome. When I come back, I either plan on going to community college and then transferring to a university, or pretty much just going into the work force and putting off college until later. As far as what i'm going to study, i'm still undecided. There are a lot of things I love learning about, such as war history, computers, Asia (mostly Korea, Japan and China), film, photography and English (maybe i'd like to teach English someday. But not to English speakers). Now, that may sound like a lot of cool stuff to study about, but where is it going to get me? Will knowing who the emperor of China was way back when going to put food on the table? The answer, unfortunately, is no. These, are the things I love to learn, but they have no practical use in the real world, and will only provide personal growth. I value this much more than material posessions, but if I don't have money or food or a place to live, what good will that do me? So now i've got to look at my options and rethink them. Finding a good answer from all of this will be extremely hard, and I probably won't find one for another 10+ years, and by then, it's kind of too late. My goal is to be able to have a nice job doing something I love. That right there is something only a few people are able to accomplish. Here's a conversation I had with my friend tonight. He's Japanese, but living in Thailand. I think he's got a good thing going for himself, and i'd like to be as lucky as him someday. He is a well-educated man who has travelled around the world and is living his life happily. He is 2 I am 1 Crappy job=probably working at McDonald's or something like that to get some money before I go off to study. Supposing I do. 2 so you won't go to college? 1 after i come back maybe 2 when are you coming back? 1 well, i am still not sure if i will go this april or not. my mom still hasn't made up her mind. but i'd like to do a 2 year program 2 langauge school is in Japan, and temporary crappy work is in US right? 1 haha yes 2 two years program in Japanese course? 2 I'm not your father..... 2 so I try not to father you but I think you should go straight to college 2 even if japaense is what you want to study 1 yeah, that's what i'd like to do...i think it would be a good life experience, and i could have something to start my adult life with 2 a lot easier for you to find a job in Japan (life in Japan) if you have a college degree 1 yeah, college is a good idea. but after 12 years of studying things i don't like, i figure it would be nice to finally study something i do like 2 you can study what you'd like to study in college 2 and I tell you, studying hasn't really started yet 1 yeah, there is a huge difference between high school and college 2 I would say there is a huge difference between undergraduate in college and graduate program 2 LJ is telling me he feels a bit jolt in his office in Tokyo, earthquake 1 and of course there's always the money problem...studying for 4 years at a college is going to have me paying it off for the rest of my life (most likely) 1 earthquake in tokyo? or aftershock? 2 quite the opposite I think 2 I think 2 if you won't go to college, you're going to have to pay for not going for the rest of your life 1 i plan on going to college, but not right after high school 2 it's good you take a year off from school and work for a year or two 2 but language schools in Japan, are not designed to teach you language 1 oh, really? then what? 2 not anymore than colleges in US that offers Japanese course 2 they were established to rip people like you off who are dreaming to go to Japan 2 most "language schools" are for profit, not for teaching, whether it teaches English or Japanese, they don't even care if you don't show up 1 i've thought about that...but there's no way i can tell. not from here anyways. you are right, though. i know a lot of those schools are for profit, and that is why i have been looking and looking...i've looked through so many schools trying to find good ones 2 lot of Asian students apply to those schools so they are a convenient tool to issue them a documents necessary for visa 2 I'd rather say if you really want to go, go there as a tourist, search for schools on your own 2 find a friend to stay there with 2 like Jess 1 the only schools i know that are good are the american ones. the majority of students there are american, and if they get ripped off, they will beat somebody up haha 2 I might be telling you things you don't wanna hear 1 no, this is quite alright 1 it's good to know 2 but you're a good boy, I think you deserve something good for your future 2 just one advice 1 it's stupid not to listen to other people's opinions 2 if you are not gonna land on any decent job (or life for that matter), you're not gonan land at any decent job in Japan 2 did I tell you I had an American neighbor just nextdoor till about two months ago 1 ahh you didn't tell me. how come he was there? 2 he graduated Georgetown law schoool, he's a lawyer 2 he lived and worked in Japan as a lawyer, he worked in Thailand as a lawyer too, now he left and don't know where he went, but he said he's lucky he can choose where he wants to live 2 if you don't even have a college degree, as a foreigner, it is really difficult to find someone in Thailand who will provide a work permit for you 1 i saw the other night when you were talking to that guy about working in thailand...i didn't know that the restrictions were that tight 2 actually he can not work as a lawyer in Thailand, he doesn't have a license for that, can't represent someone in court, but still there is a demand for his expertise and knowledge, someone will hire him as a "consultant" 2 it will be easier in Japan, as far as immigration goes.... but you probably won't find an employer to hire you if you don't even have a college degree, actually having just a Bachelor's degree isn't gonna guarantee a job there 1 it seems that nowadays, a person can only live without problems in their own country...anywhere else, and you are slammed with laws, regulations, restrictions, fees etc etc... 2 I know school is a pain in the ass 2 yes yes 2 but you really don't want to live illegally anywhere, really shitty life living like a fugitive 1 yeah, right. running from the law is not the life for me 1 but, my purpose for studying japanese isn't to get a job. yeah it would be nice if i could get a job because i speak japanese, but my goal is to be able to speak with japanese people 2 just.... 2 if you don't know what to do, go to college 2 well you know what you wanna do 2 but I guess not so sure what is right for you to do..... 2 I've been through this when I was your age 1 i've been thinking lately about studying how to teach english...maybe ESL or something 2 actually 1 when i hang out with my japanese friends and spend time with them and help them with their english, i really enjoy it, and it seems like teaching or tutoring english wouldn't be so bad. even fun maybe 2 you don't have to decide now what you wanna do for your future 2 there are many things you haven't done with your life yet, I guess, you don't have to be so quick to decide what you wanna do now just by choosing what you enjoyed doing in the past 17 yrs of your life 2 not that I'm saying teaching English is bad 2 you can choose your major after 2nd or 3rd year in college 2 and if you don't like what you finished degree with, you can always go back to school for master (or undergraduate again) 1 right, of course. but just for now, i'm thinking about things that i have really taken an interest in, and if i still like them later on, then maybe i will make a career out of them 2 ahh yes 2 yes of course 2 but 2 frankly speaking 2 they don't see "english teaching" as a career anywhere these days...... 1 what do you mean? 2 well English teaching demand is still high in Japan, but so is the supply 2 meaning it's not so easy these days for any native English speaker to go to another country and find a job and get a work permit as an English teacher 2 because there are so many of them already 1 ahh yeah. i guess a lot of people are trying to do that and there's just more than they need 2 not very respected job 2 if you are linguist, and teach in college, that would be another story though 1 the english teaching programs in japan aren't that great anyways...NOVA, i won't even talk about them. JET is ok, but for the most part, you are a teacher's aid 2 as a matter of fact, language is just a tool, not the objective, I am trilingual, but they don't really see the langauge skill as an expertise 2 yes 2 and if you need a college degree for teaching English in Japan anyway, if you have to spend four more years studying and paying tuition, I would say why not aim for something higher? 1 yes. that is why i have never considered those programs 1 sure they sound nice, but that's nothing great to do with your life 2 so you really don't have to be so quick to decide your career of your life time 2 I know you like Japanese, Japanese people, the culture 2 but there are many countries in the world that you don't know 1 yeah 1 i am really interested in asian countries, history, language and culture 1 but mostly japanese 2 you can open yourself up to the world a little bit more, I think college will help you with that, then you can decide later whatever you want to do 2 so do I 2 I like Japan too 2 but quite happy living in Thailand than in Japan 1 i was thinking about asian studies...but there's nothing that will come out of it except learning about the countries 2 you can't call that "nothing" 1 of course not 2 college is not a vocational school, let there be no mistake about it 2 college isn't necessarily where you go acquire real life marketable skill 1 that course would be for personal growth and knowledge. but there isn't anything i can do with it, like get a job 2 if that's what you want, then you can go to "language school" 2 personally speaking, I value that "personal growth and knowledge" more than marketable skill 1 me too 1 but 2 you'll learn to appreciate it when you get to my age 1 i'd like to be able to have a career you know 2 if you really want a marketable skill, go to business school, get an MBA, then you can build a career, at language school or whatever 1 life would be so much more enjoyable if we could learn what we wanted and not have to worry about a job, or a house, or any of that stuff 2 yes right 1 but unfortunately, we do, and so i think it's a good idea to develop something that can take care of those problems while still retaining an interest to yourself 1 so i'm going to try and study some things that i really enjoy in life, and see if i can make something out of them. if i can't, i can always try again with something else And this is where his internet connection dies and the conversation ends. But that pretty much covered it. Anyways, this is my view of what I think an ideal future for a person should be. The important issue here, though, is what YOU will do with YOUR future. I encourage you to find something in life you really enjoy and to learn about it, become good at it, whatever. Please don't be satisfied with the mediocrity of an office job or working at your local fast food joint. I know a good amount of you have seen the movie 'Office Space'. Please think long and hard about what you will do later in life and how you will get there. Don't arrive at that point in your life thinking, "So...what do I do now?".
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GB CHALLENGE IS HOMOSEXUAL ARE YOU HOMOSEXUAL? I THINK SO
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#2 |
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Retired BOSS
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well, as one of the elder statemen of the forums at 20... and almost halfway through my junior year of college... i'm at the point where i'm stuck with the decisions i've made.
i'm a Finance major at the Stern School of Business (#2 ranked school in the country for Finance, as per US News) with minors in Physics and Mathematics. i live in manhattan. Wall Street is a 10 minute subway ride away. alot of people i know come to class in suits because they have internships with corporations that require that attire either before or after class. i, on the other hand, have been lazy. i've done nothing. no school activities, no internships, nada. i'm not sure how it will affect me towards getting a job in 18 months, but it can't help. also, my grades are fairly bad, because i have lost all motivation for school. its not that i hate it, or even dislike it. i know the Finance is what i want to do out of school... i just can't do school work anymore. its why i'm always here. i'm never in class. i've accepted my poor grades, and am just passing the time until i graduate. i ENJOY working. i would much rather be working 60 hours a week than being in school for 10. so, i definately think you should take a year or two off before college, help yourself recover from the burnout of high school. work for 2 years, enjoy yourself. then go to college. because college is a necessary evil for almost anyone who wants a decent job, let alone a high paying one. not really sure where i went with all i said... but, i don't regret anything. i'm too happy with the rest of my life to be held down by my apathy for school. also, i know i'll go into Finance for 4-5 years after graduation, whether its in investment banking or elsewhere. but, what i really would like to do is open up my own business of some sort once i've established capital. a good buddy of mine and i are already saving for it. we don't know what the business will be, only that we want to have it and not slave through our work years in a monster corporation doing 100 hours work weeks.
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#3 |
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let it snow~
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As a newly-entered Freshman in college, I can basically tell you the decision to go into college or not is based off a few things.
One: You need to completely ditch the high-school way of learning. This may take longer than a summer. Two: You need to prepare mentally for studying all the time. Professors don't hesitate to give you a popquiz on something you didn't even discuss in class. Three: You need to get a job, no matter what. I have a crappy job that I'll be leaving soon for another one, but I have to have it. Fact of the matter is, college is really expensive. In-state tuition at my school is at least 1-2,000 a semester. Then it's about $100 a textbook per class, Dorm fees should you live on campus, overpriced lunch food (friggin 5 dollars for a slice of crappy pizza and soda), etc. Four: You have to learn the balance between all of this. That's so necessary. I'm still working it out, but I've basically met a balanced point whereas I finish my work ontime with good quality and still have time to be here and such. Five: Pick out a major and a minor. Undeclared will get you nowhere. I still need a minor... ~Squeek |
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#4 |
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Retired BOSS
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see, not all of those apply Squeek... i have a buddy who is getting PAID about 40,000 to go to school this year. He has free tuition from the university on merit based scholarships, then applied and was awarded 5-6 other scholarships as well from outside the university.
or, you could be like me... and have a rich parent paying for all of college. no job, no student loans, no worries about being a broke college student. and as far as food goes... ditch your meal plan. mine was costing me over 8 bucks a meal, when i wasn't even using all of my meals. now i get my father to give me the cash he would have spent on a meal plan, and i wind up saving about 1000 bucks for myself each semester. there are inexpensive places to eat, even in manhattan. although a supermarket is your best bet. oh yea, i don't see why you need to ditch a way of learning to pick up another... most people know what they are getting into with college lectures, etc. and, i've found that its not all that much work, especially if you don't do it.
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#5 |
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let it snow~
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Because Tass in High School you could basically not pay attention at all, finish all homework, get decent grades on tests, and ace the course. Homework is meaningless in most college classes and paying attention is top priority.
I'm not paying for college tuition. I'm paying for things I want. My parents cut off my flow of money for games or peripherals. I didn't have a meal plan. It's always that expensive. I only have to eat at the food court on Thursdays anyway, so it's quite alright. All the other days I just drive home. ~Squeek |
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#6 |
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Retired BOSS
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drive home?
that really cuts down on the "college experience"...but, i do agree with you... going to class and paying attention to lectures is by far the #1 most important thing towards doing well on exams in college. and... i don't go to many classes. nor do i study... :-/ but its all good. as far as the job/money thing, i worked 50-60 hours a week this summer. plus the extra money from the meal plan... man i'm glad my woman is moving. no more plane rides to LA after tomorrow.
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#7 |
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FFR Player
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I guess i'm kind of lucky in that I live right next to a nice university.
That eliminates a lot of problems. Lunch time's over, more details at (some time later).
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GB CHALLENGE IS HOMOSEXUAL ARE YOU HOMOSEXUAL? I THINK SO
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#8 | |
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FFR Player
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As another of the older (although you may not think so, but I am) statespersons of the forums at 19, and a first year Film Student in a Canadian University to boot, I can tell you that I went through alot of the same things you did when I was your age.
Although the system for education is a little different (most noteable: Don't declare major until second year) essentially the issues you raised are similiar. My advice to you is to go to college for a Japanese language minor/major/whatever and then go to Japan, it will make the adjustment far easier, and give you something to branch from instead of a crappy high school diploma that will get you a job equally as pointless in Japan as in North America. And all this about studying and the likes. University/College is far different than High School (and thank god for that) but the most important thing is attending the lectures frequently. It's okay to miss a few (I go to about 90% of my classes, and I'm a total slack job.) as long as you gain the concepts the professors are getting at. Of course, University is a little less practical/hands on then College, but it's better for learning languages IMO (I'm taking a German course and it's good, although I don't pay attention since I know the language) Coming from a University, I actually think it's easier to BS your way through, then to work in College (but it's all perspective and interests, and strengths). I mean, I don't read the texts or study for exams and I'm on the Dean's honour roll. And this is in an Ivy league University (not that I care - I'm just making the point that it's supposed to be "difficult"). So that should qualm your fears a bit. If you do the assignments (all five in the course) and go to class often, you've basically guaranteed yourself a passing grade in the course. In the end though, you have to do what you like - after all, if you don't go for your dreams, how can you ever say you lived your life with no regrets? Just a few thoughts. Jazz
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#9 |
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let it snow~
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One thing I want to clear up right away for non-american posters.
High School = Year 9-12. College = Post-High School Education. University = College. Americans do not make a distinction between the two from what I know. I know that in England, High School is referred to as College (or maybe my buddy there was messing with me. What do I know?) and University is College. Highly confusing. Anyway, Jazz basically got the jist of it. I'm not certain on the whole "go to Japan" thing, but you CAN visit another country and gain credit for it while there. I believe the program is called "Globar Education". One other thing, there are certain cases where paying attention, doing homework, and knowing the material thoroughly does not secure you a passing grade. Like, for example, if you have a crappy professor. I know Bandit always tells us horror stories of his professors and I have one of my own. Obviously Analytic Geometry and Calculus I is going to be hard, but I understand it quite well. I know all the formulas and when to use them. However, that doesn't help when the professor gives you an exam including problems you've never seen before. For example, he'll teach you derivatives of exponents, regular numbers, special cases, etc. Then on the test, he'll give you square root of powers to take the derivative of. Three times. I had no idea how to do that. And his pace of teaching is far too quick for the class to keep up. I heard he has a super-low score on RateMyProfessors... ~Squeek |
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#10 |
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(The Fat's Sabobah)
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Since I was 10, I've wanted to become an "artist." But I ditched that idea since the demand for traditional art is none and I dont want to become some "starving artist." So, three years ago, I decided on becoming an animator, though now I am having second thoughts. Animation is not my ultimate goal. Writting and/or Directing is however.
Because of this sudden change of mind, I have decided not to rush into and Art College right away. I decided it would be better for me to go to a community college for 2 years, get a job, save some money, and think about what I want to do with my life. |
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#11 |
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FFR Player
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this Chinese-Irish guy I know named Neil told me he landed a job in China over the summer, and is going to live there.
It's a nice place, but I don't know if I could stand living there again... Anyways, good luck if you go to Japan, Varia. Congrats for not being another desk grunt. |
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#12 |
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FFR Player
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Well I'm 21 now and its only been 3 years since i graduated High School. It seems like an eternity and its bizarre to think of all that has happened since then. One of the hardest things to do and probably not one of the wiests decisions you can make is to set an outline for yourself before you are out of high school. We'll take my situation for exapmle. High school for me was a complete and utter joke. I did just about every drug known to man, spent the majority of my school days drunk off my ass, and worked night shift at the VONS grocery store down the street from me. Now I come from a fairly wealthy family but they stopped supporting me when I was 16 and of legal age to get a job and support my own endeavors. So basically i spent my high school years drunk, stoned, hyped on whatever drug cocktails were passed my way and basically never sleeping since i worked the hours of 11pm till 6am 5 nights a week. Now I did have a natural tendency to extremely well in various fields of academics especially the sciences. I was accepted to UC Berkely which i planned on attending to major in biology but that summer after graduation I came to the realisation while taking a few courses at UC Santa Barbara where I lived that I had absolutely no interest in the sciences. So I opted not to go to a UC and instead spend a few semesters at the local community college taking a few gen ed classes and exploring other fields of interst before i made my decision. I was very into jazz music at the time and had been playing the saxophone for 10 years so I played in their jazz band there for a few semesters. We would compete at the Reno Jazz Festival and do quite well and I was having a lot of fun but I also noticed that there was always a grip fo people who were infinitely better than i was and I knew that I could never make a profession out of music. So I started looking into multimedia courses from web design to 3d animation. I took to animation like a fish to water over a couple of months my skills flourished to the point where i was a stand in instructor for the 3d animation classes there when needed. it was at that poit also where I came in contact with a guy who was doing architectural work in 3d and needed a hand due to the abundance of projects coming across his desk. So I stepped in doing that and was working that job along with working at the school making a good living for myself. I finished my associates degree at the community college there and decided i wanted to attend an art school in Los Angeles and finish my bachelors of science in media arts. Since moving to LA in january I've gotten a job as an IT tech support at a local clothing design company and I will be starting work at SCEA doing gamed design in december. I might continue school, i might not, im still unsure of that yet. I'm just going to let my life go where it will and hope for the best.
Now note this is all in the span of 3 years. High school seems like such a miniscule part of my past now. You just can't predict what is going to happen when you get out of high school. All i can say is do what intersts you, keep your eyes open for the opprtunity to better yourself and your future and run with it. Just don't be one of those lazy sacks of shit that doesnt do anythimg themselves and keeps wondering what if. Go to Japan and study japanese. Come back and use it to boost a career in business or somthing. But don't do something like go to college just because somebody tells you its what must be done. It takes a lot of gears and sprockets to make the world tick and openings are coming up every day for the well motivated gear that wnats to jump in and take its place.
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I want fish tacos.....
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#13 |
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嗚呼
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I think I'll play a lot of video games.
Yeah, that sounds good.
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Plz visit my blog |
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#14 |
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Super Scooter Happy
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Bed is in my personal future.
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I watched clouds awobbly from the floor o' that kayak. Souls cross ages like clouds cross skies, an' tho' a cloud's shape nor hue nor size don't stay the same, it's still a cloud an' so is a soul. Who can say where the cloud's blowed from or who the soul'll be 'morrow? Only Sonmi the east an' the west an' the compass an' the atlas, yay, only the atlas o' clouds. |
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#15 |
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FFR Player
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Canada
Age: 33
Posts: 4,613
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I had a dream to be a professional soccer player. It was coming true believe it or not. I was playing for the top teams in my region,I was in AAA..I was doing AMAZING. Then I broke my ankle and I sucked. Worked my way up back into AAA,quit. Joined AA,forced to quit by my parents for quiting school.
Now I really have nothing to shoot for at all. Ahh bad times... |
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#16 |
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~Bang that beat Harder~
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,321
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its always been my goal to attend CalTech since i was a child of 7. i believe ive werked hard my entire life, but still that goal seems out of my reach. certain goals such as this one have caused me to be blind sighted, and i can honestly say ive lived a very non sociable lifestyle. not very good i think. although i am ranked in tennis, but bah.
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